Zuko The Fire Lord
by The Truth Teller
Summary: A man running from his fated past and future finally learns the hard way what it is like to wish for happily ever after. Read as the story goes for the Fire Lord Zuko. The seventeen year old king whom many assumed he already completed his life and will stay the most successful forever until the plague that threatened The Fire Nation. That is where they were wrong.


In the most powerful Kingdom of The Fire Nation, the land was the strongest of all grounds. Its neighboring kingdoms were all envious of the luxuries one can only find in a place called Paradise. The grass is the most green, the fruits and vegetables are not only abundant but the quality in size and taste makes even the common absolutely moth watering. The land was blessed with minerals scattered all over with gem, gold, and iron. This kingdom happened to grow more success day by day without any limits due to the leadership of the current Fire Lord: Fire Lord Zuko.

The youth Zuko, no more than age seventeen. The man took his rightful place on the throne when he was only living for twelve years. In just five years he impregnated his Queen with four beautiful heirs. One set of boys born first, a baby girl a year after them, and another girl after her sister. All of them were precious and loved as a deer fawn. The Fire Lord made the land the most rich of all there was before when he correctly calculated which particular volcano hills harbored gems next to it.

The citizens cried joyously "victory!" Even the peasants became nobles. The era was perfect.

_Perfect._ Fire Lord Zuko awakened from his thoughts when the silver adorned doors of his library slightly extended. Suspiciously, The Fire Lord went stiff in his seat and craned his neck to the right to get a better look. The king was to leap from his chair and pounce on the intruder who in turn could be an assassin. The plan was set to motion but the action never became a reality when the intruder was none other than the Princess Azula. Rolling his eyes and sighing in relief, the man sank lower onto the cushioned seat and pushed his completed work of written parchment to the left side of his beautiful crafted desk with his right foot. The Princess ran towards her father and sat on his lap as he placed his legs on top of the desk.

The favorite daughter and child of The Fire Lord spoke animatedly and too fast in pace for her father to understand. The Fire Lord soon placed his index finger on his daughter's lips; interrupting her chatter in mid sentence. The little Princess silenced at once and looked up at her father's bemused expression while catching her breath. After removing his finger, Fire Lord laid his head back. "What was that my child?"

"Father, a group of people are waiting to see you at the altar." The king frowned in confusion and cocked his head to the side curiously. Little Azula nodded. "They have presents for you!" She beamed with excitement.

* * *

Before the royal palace, suppliants of large quantities sat neatly in rows dressed in black for misery. They all had grim looks on their faces. When The Fire Lord heard this from his daughter, he didn't quite believe her for in times she always over exaggerated stimulating events. This however, didn't seem too dramatic at all. After the announcement from the Princess, the king quickly called his maid to set out formal set of strings for him to look presentable. His loose tunic would not do. The Fire Lord hates it when women from all ages would do nothing but gawk; it was absolutely pathetic and hate stirred in his heart. The red cape with black collared top made the Fire Lord more fierce and dominant. The doors opened for him by the armored guards and he stepped out to the open area. Perhaps the entire male population was in front of his eyes. This he favored men than women. A little devilish smirk plastered his face. An elderly man dressed in nothing but pure red from head to toe stepped forward despite the pain he must have felt from his crooked back. Pity felt through The Fire Lord's veins and that made him motivated more too help the problem he was feeling inside coming from the atmosphere of the white bearded man.

"My children of the land." The Fire Lord began with a bold tongue. "I see before you men from all ages to the youngest babe to the eldest with treasures in your hands." Few of the group nodded and listened intently. "I told you when I came to the throne when I was in my last number of 'boy' that I will not accept any gifts for it is wrong to accept." The Fire Lord failed to notice the middle age man with boils and black spots on his face smile at the news and put his late wife's necklace back inside his cloak. "I Zuko- your renowned Fire Lord shall do whatever to satisfy you all once again." The fire Lord turned to the fully carnage clothed man in front of him. "What news do you bring? What is the dispute?"

The back crooked man bowed his head then looked up again. "Aye, Sir." A cough from him made The Fire Lord step away from him a step. He began again, "I come with tragic news of the man in the back ready to give you his dead wife's necklace in return for your help because the lady died from child birth just before sunset and his children are now motherless." The Fire Lord peeked at the said man with the boils and made himself pay attention back to the elder. "Minerals are now hard to come by. The baking sky is too much for the crops and bugs from the corpse of ill animals invaded humans."

The Fire Lord's eyes widened at the tragic events that just took events. He never thought the natural disaster was this dreadful. But he kept quiet. " I am the fire priest for over three decades of my life. My blood red clothes are to announce on behalf of the entire kingdom that just as we needed your aid before; we need it once more."

It wasn't unexpected because the plague was too hard to blink away. His servants of the palace were covered with disgusting skin diseases, the food supply began to melt away, and the babies of the land simply slept forever. The Fire Lord already was once more ahead of the situation. " I know my poor children of the sun. I know too well of food running short, the children and animals no longer breathing air, and breathing became a struggle." A smile of reassurance appeared on the King's lips and patted the priest's lump shoulder. " I already sent my consort's brother, Zhao to the crescent shrine. The news from the Oracle will guide us threw this dilemma."

"Thank you, Fire Lord." The priest nodded his head too strongly that it seemed it might snap off. " I think I hear shouting that Zhao is at hand." Zuko blinked and looked up in surprise. The priest was true, in the saddled rhino; the driver was on his way closer to the palace. The king squared his shoulders at the aged monkey bearded man walking towards him. Zhao bowed ever too slightly and stood up fully. "My Royal brother in law. What is the message you have brought from God?"

A scheming grin and mischief eyes made the citizen quiver and the King annoyed and frown at the man in front.


End file.
